How Does Yirgacheffe Coffee Taste Hot, Cold and as SOE Americano?

The same washed Yirgacheffe Gedeo beans taste different depending on brew temperature and method. Hot pour-over brings out bright citrus acidity and white floral notes; cold brew gives a rounder, fuller body; an SOE americano served over ice keeps a refreshing fruity character. Grind size matters either way: too coarse and the cup tastes thin, too fine and it turns bitter.

Front Street's Washed Gedeo lot comes from the Gedeo Zone at 1900-2300 meters, is a G1 heirloom washed coffee, and is brewed on a V60 with a medium-fine grind (about 78% passing a No. 20 sieve, roughly 10 on an EK43s or 24 on a C40). Cupping shows citrus, honey sweetness and a clean, tea-like finish.

The same Ethiopian Yirgacheffe washed Gedeo coffee beans present different flavor profiles when brewed at different temperatures and with different methods. Some people love the bright acidity and floral notes of a hot brew, some prefer the roundness and fullness of cold brew, and others are fond of the refreshing fruity notes of an SOE americano. This article focuses on Front Street. Washed Gedeo, covering bean information, pour-over parameters, the effect of temperature on flavor, cold brew ratios and steeping times, and the extraction details for SOE americano, sorting out its flavor changes and key operational points one by one to help coffee lovers find the way they like to drink it.

Coffee is a drink many people can't do without in daily life. Some like to finish it in one go while it's hot, some are used to drinking half and letting the rest cool before continuing, and others drink it from hot to cold, experiencing the different flavors brought by changing temperatures. There is no single answer as to which way tastes better; it mainly depends on personal preference. As a beverage, coffee shows obvious differences in taste between hot and cold, and both are worth trying.

Below let's take a look at how Front Street. Washed Gedeo from the Yirgacheffe region performs in flavor at different brewing temperatures.

Front Street. Washed Gedeo Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone Altitude: 1900-2300m Variety: Heirloom Processing Method: Washed Grade: G1

First, let's talk about the dry aroma of this bean, which presents fresh citrus and white floral notes. When slurped at different temperatures, you can sense bright citrus notes, honey-like sweetness, and a clean mouthfeel, interspersed with floral and tea-like notes.

Regarding grind size, if it's too coarse, the rich substances are hard to extract and the coffee will taste thin; if it's too fine, it's easy to over-extract at high water temperatures, bringing bitterness. Front Street Coffee recommends a medium-fine grind (78% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve), corresponding to 10 on an EK43s electric grinder and 24 on a C40 hand grinder.

For the dripper, in order to highlight the fresh and charming aroma of the washed Yirgacheffe beans, Front Street Coffee chose the V60 dripper. The dripper's spiral ribs help the coffee grounds release gas, allowing the aromatic and acidic substances to volatilize and dissolve more fully.

For beans with different roast levels, the brewing water temperature should also be adjusted accordingly. For medium-light roasted beans like Front Street. Gedeo, 91-93°C is recommended. A higher water temperature can extract the aromatic substances and acidity (floral and fruity acidity) from light-roasted beans, because light-roasted beans are harder in texture, and raising the water temperature can increase extraction efficiency and avoid unpleasant flavors such as sharp acidity.

More specifically, if you want bright, uplifting acidity with a tea-like aftertaste, you can brew in the 90°C-91°C range; if you want full-bodied acidity and enhanced body, brew in the 92°C-93°C range.

Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedeo Brewing Parameters

Dripper: HARIO V60

Water temperature: 91-93°C

Grind size: caster sugar

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Pouring technique: three-stage

In terms of brewing method, Front Street Coffee uses three-stage extraction, allowing different flavor substances to better express themselves as the coffee bed heats up in stages. During cupping, Front Street Coffee noticed that this bean performed differently at different temperatures, so adjustments were made to the brewing technique.

Front Street · Washed Gedeo Coffee Beans Flavor Description: At high temperature, it's berries, cream, honey, citrus, juicy mouthfeel, bright acidity; after the temperature drops slightly, it's berries, cream, smooth, citrus.

Front Street. Yirgacheffe Gedeo Cold Brew Coffee Method

Prepare 40 grams of coffee beans, ground slightly finer than for pour-over, about 85% passing through a No. 20 sieve. Put the coffee grounds into a glass bottle, add 500 ml of room-temperature drinking water, with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12, stir well with a stirring rod, then seal and place in the refrigerator.

The cold brew time is recommended to be controlled between 12-24 hours. The longer the steep, the stronger the taste, but it is not recommended to exceed 24 hours.

When steeped for 8 hours, the coffee flavor is bright in acidity and refreshing.

When steeped for 16 hours, the coffee flavor is rounder and fuller, with plenty of sweetness and acidity.

When steeped for 24 hours, the coffee flavor and mouthfeel are thicker, richer, and more balanced.

After refrigeration is complete, you can filter out the coffee grounds with filter paper. Front Street recommends bottling the clean filtered coffee liquid and refrigerating it for another 4 hours before drinking, which will make the cold brew coffee more aromatic.

Front Street. Yirgacheffe Gedeo SOE Americano Method

Coffee dose: 20g

Coffee liquid yield: 40g

Dose-to-yield ratio: 1:2

Extraction time: 26-32 seconds

Grind setting: Galileo 2.0

The coffee machine used by Front Street has a double basket capacity, requiring 20 grams of coffee powder each time, with an extraction dose-to-yield ratio of 1:2, meaning 40 grams of coffee liquid is produced within a reasonable time. The extraction time is related to the flow rate of the coffee powder; generally, a single extraction is controlled between 20-35 seconds. Less than 20 seconds tends to make the coffee thin and bland, while more than 35 seconds tends to over-extract and cause a burnt, bitter taste, so Front Street controls the espresso time within the 26-32 second range when producing it.

Before extraction, first wipe the basket dry, turn on the grinder, grind out a double dose of coffee powder, and measure it on an electronic scale, adding or removing until it reaches exactly 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee powder, and use a tamper to press down vertically with force, tamping the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch and let water run for 1-2 seconds to wet the brew head, while also washing away any stuck coffee grounds. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will catch the espresso, tare it to 0, and place it under the brew head together during extraction.

Gently lock the portafilter onto the brew head, and start the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extracted liquid. When the electronic scale shows 40 grams of coffee liquid extracted, at about 30 seconds, turn off the extraction switch.

The Front Street. Gedeo SOE made this way gives off a faint citrus aroma. Then add ice water or warm water at a 1:4 ratio, and it becomes a refreshing Gedeo SOE iced americano.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.